Will Tissue Expander Failure Affect Breast Implants?

Bi-Lateral Mastectomy, reconstruction with tissue expanders, one expander is not expanding. It did, now it appears after 4 weeks and no expansion that it has a hole and I am deflating. Will this problem affect the outcome of my implant surgery to be done in 4 weeks?

Doctor Answers 5

Symmetry is more important than absolute size!

July 6th, 2010

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A mechanical failure of one of your expansion devices is not the end of the world. In reality, asymmetries exist with all breast patients. The goal of your reconstruction should be a good breast shape that is relatively symmetrical. If your surgeon was able to recruit enough breast tissue to accommodate an implant that will be a good size match for the opposite breast, you should be OK. If not, you may need to have the expander replaced and continue the expansion a while longer.

Depends on how much soft tissue is available and what your goals are

May 13th, 2009

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Tissue expanders are used to create more soft tissue to allow implants to be used. Often, implants, if of relatively small size, can be immediately inserted without the use of expanders. Your surgeon should be able to tell you the significance of the expander deflation. If it was expanded and then deflated, your surgeon might feel there is sufficient skin to complete the procedure. Sometimes expanders are used as spacers without a real necessity for absolute expansion.

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